Aulis Sallinen (born 9 April 1935) is a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

. His music has been variously described as "remorselessly harsh", a "beautifully crafted amalgam of several 20th-century styles", and "neo-romantic". Sallinen studied at the

Sibelius Academy The Sibelius Academy ( fi, Taideyliopiston Sibelius-Akatemia, sv, Sibelius-Akademin vid Konstuniversitetet) is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki and a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It als ...

, where his teachers included

Joonas Kokkonen Joonas Kokkonen (; 13 November 1921 – 2 October 1996) was a Finnish composer. He was one of the most internationally famous Finnish composers of the 20th century after Sibelius; his opera ''The Last Temptations'' has received over 500 performance ...

. He has had works commissioned by the

Kronos Quartet The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for almost 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classic ...

, and has also written seven

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

s, eight symphonies, concertos for violin, cello, flute, horn, and English horn, as well as several chamber works. He won the

Nordic Council Music Prize The Nordic Council Music Prize is awarded annually by NOMUS, the Nordic Music Committee. Every two years it is awarded for a work by a living composer. In the intervening years it is awarded to a performing musician or ensemble. The Nordic ...

in 1978 for his opera ''Ratsumies'' ('' The Horseman'').

Childhood and studies

Sallinen was born in Salmi. During his childhood the family moved several times for his father's work, and during

Evacuation of Finnish Karelia As a result of the 1940 Moscow Peace Treaty that concluded the Winter War, Finland ceded a portion of Finnish Karelia along with other territories to the Soviet Union. As a result, about 410,000 people, or 12% of Finland's population, were reloca ...

in 1944 the family relocated to Uusikaupunki, where Aulis Sallinen attended his schools. His first instruments were

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

and

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

. He would play both

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

and

. He was known to be extremely creative and spent much time during his teenage years improvising. After a while, he began writing his ideas down on paper and began serious composition. He attended the

of Music and studied with a number of prestigious teachers such as

Aarre Merikanto Aarre Merikanto (29 June 1893 – 28 September 1958) was a Finnish composer. He was born in Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland, the son of Elise "Liisa" Häyrynen (1869-1949) and the famous romantic composer, professor Oskar Merikanto (1868-1 ...

and

Early career and operas

After graduating, Sallinen took a position as composition teacher at the Sibelius Academy and continued composing. Among his pupils were i.e. the Austrian born Finnish composer

Herman Rechberger Herman Rechberger (14 February 1947 – 11 January 2022) was an Austria-born Finnish composer, conductor and musician. Life and career Born in Linz, Allied-occupied Austria, Rechberger studied classical guitar at the Bruckner-Konservatorium ...

and

Jouni Kaipainen Jouni Ilari Kaipainen (24 November 1956 – 23 November 2015) was a Finnish composer. Kaipainen was born in Helsinki to the physician and politician Osmo Kaipainen, and his wife, the author Anu Kaipainen, Anu Mustonen. He studied at the Sibelius ...

. He was appointed as the general manager of the

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Finnish: ''Radion sinfoniaorkesteri'', Swedish: ''Radions symfoniorkester'') is a Finnish broadcast orchestra based in Helsinki, and the orchestra of the Finnish Broadcasting Company (Yle). The orchestra prima ...

in 1960 and held the position until 1969. He was the chairman of the board of the

Society of Finnish Composers A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societi ...

between 1971 and 1974. Though he was a known teacher and was on many boards of directors, his compositions were not particularly noted until he was made "Artist Professor" by the Finnish government in 1976, letting him concentrate on composing. Sallinen's first opera Ratsumies ( The Horseman) premiered at the

Savonlinna Opera Festival Savonlinna Opera Festival ( fi, Savonlinnan oopperajuhlat) is held annually in the city of Savonlinna in Finland. The Festival takes place at the medieval Olavinlinna (St. Olaf's Castle), built in 1475. The castle is located amid spectacular lake ...

in 1975. Together with

The Last Temptations ''The Last Temptations'' ( fi, Viimeiset kiusaukset) is an opera in two acts by Joonas Kokkonen to a libretto by Lauri Kokkonen. Along with Leevi Madetoja's ''Pohjalaisia'' and Aarre Merikanto's ''Juha'', it is considered one of the most import ...

(1975) it started a golden era of modern Finnish opera. His second opera, Punainen viiva (

The Red Line ''The Red Line'' (''Punainen viiva'') is an opera in two acts with music by Aulis Sallinen to a libretto by the composer, which premiered on 30 November 1978 at the Finnish National Opera.Arni E. The Red Line. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Ope ...

), was commissioned by the

Finnish National Opera The Finnish National Opera and Ballet ( fi, Suomen Kansallisooppera ja -baletti; sv, Finlands Nationalopera och -balett) is a Finnish opera company and ballet company based in Helsinki. It is headquartered in the Opera House on the coast of the T ...

. Sallinen's next opera, Kuningas lähtee Ranskaan (

The King Goes Forth to France ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

), was a joint commission by

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

and the Finnish National Opera.

Later life

After receiving his lifelong art professorship, Sallinen devoted great amounts of time to composing. He has revived standard forms and harmonies, but he puts them together in contemporary ways. He has received a number of commissions from renowned ensembles and has composed eight symphonies, including one using material from a proposed ballet based on ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...

'' and containing two mediaeval

tunes from the ''

Piae Cantiones ''Piae Cantiones ecclesiasticae et scholasticae veterum episcoporum'' (in English ''Pious ecclesiastical and school songs of the ancient bishops'') is a collection of late medieval Latin songs first published in 1582. It was compiled by Jacobus F ...

''. He has written seven operas and is well known as the composer of the title track of the

's album '' Winter Was Hard''.

Career highlights

*1960 – awarded diploma from the

*1960–1970 – was administrator of the

*1978 – awarded the

for '' The Horseman'' *1981 – became the first person to be made a professor of Arts for life by the Finnish Government, enabling him to concentrate on composing full-time *1983 – awarded the

Wihuri Sibelius Prize The Wihuri Sibelius Prize is a music prize awarded by the Wihuri Foundation for International Prizes to prominent composers who have become internationally known and acknowledged. The Wihuri Sibelius Prize is one of the biggest and most prestig ...

*2004 – released the first in a series of recordings of complete orchestral music on the CPO label

Selected works

Operas

* '' The Horseman'', Op. 32 (1974, Finnish: ''Ratsumies''; Swedish: ''Ryttaren'') * ''

'', Op. 46 (1978) * ''

'', Op. 53 (1983, Finnish: ''Kuningas lähtee Ranskaan'') * ''

Kullervo Kullervo () is an ill-fated character in the ''Kalevala'', the Finnish national epic compiled by Elias Lönnrot. Growing up in the aftermath of the massacre of his entire tribe, he comes to realise that the same people who had brought him up, t ...

'', Op. 61 (1988) * ''

The Palace ''The Palace'' is a British drama television series that aired on ITV in 2008. Produced by Company Pictures for the ITV network, it was created by Tom Grieves and follows a fictional British Royal Family in the aftermath of the death of King ...

'', Op. 68 (1991–1993, Finnish: ''Palatsi'') * ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

'', Op. 76 (1999) * '' Castle in the Water'', chronicle for a narrator, four singers, and chamber orchestra (2017, Finnish: ''Linna vedessä'')

Symphonies

* Symphony No. 1, Op. 24 (1970–71) * Symphony No. 2, ''Symphonic Dialogue'', for percussionist and orchestra, Op. 29 (1972) * Symphony No. 3, Op. 35 (1974–75) * Symphony No. 4, Op. 49 (1978–79) * Symphony No. 5, ''Washington Mosaics'', Op. 57 (1984–85, r. 1987) * Symphony No. 6, ''From a New Zealand Diary'', Op. 65 (1989–90) * Symphony No. 7, ''The Dreams of Gandalf'', Op. 71 (1996) * Symphony No. 8, ''Autumnal Fragments'', Op. 81 (2001)

Orchestral

* ''Mauermusik'', Op. 7 (1963) * ''Variations for Orchestra'', Op. 8 (1963) * ''Chorali'', for wind orchestra, Op. 22 (1970) * ''Chamber Music I'', for string orchestra, Op. 38 (1975) * ''Chamber Music II'', for alto flute and string orchestra Op. 41 (1976) * ''Dies Irae'', for soprano, bass, male choir and orchestra, Op. 47 (1978) * ''Shadows'', prelude for orchestra, Op. 52 (1982) * ''Chamber Music III'', ''The Nocturnal Dances of Don Juanquixote'', for cello and string orchestra, Op. 58 (1985–86) * ''Sunrise Serenade'', Op. 63 (1989) * ''Songs of Life and Death'', for baritone, choir and orchestra, Op. 69 (1995) * ''Palace Rhapsody'' for wind orchestra, Op. 72 (1996) * '' Introduction and Tango Overture'', for piano and string orchestra, Op. 74b (1997) * ''A Solemn Overture'' ''(King Lear''), Op. 75 (1997) * ''Chamber Music IV'', ''Metamorphoses of Elegy for Sebastian Knight'', for piano and string orchestra, Op. 79 (2000) * ''Chamber Music V'', ''Barabbas Variations'', for accordion (or piano) and string orchestra, Op. 80 (2000) * ''Chamber Music VI'', ''3 invitations au voyage'', for string quartet and string orchestra, Op. 88 (2006) * ''Chamber Music VII'', ''Cruseliana'', for wind quintet and string orchestra, Op. 93 (2007) * ''Chamber Music VIII'', ''The Trees, All Their Green'' (''Paavo Haavikko in memoriam''), for cello and string orchestra, Op. 94 (2008)

Concertos

Violin Concerto A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin (occasionally, two or more violins) and instrumental ensemble (customarily orchestra). Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up thro ...

, Op. 18 (1968) *

Cello Concerto A cello concerto (sometimes called a violoncello concerto) is a concerto for solo cello with orchestra or, very occasionally, smaller groups of instruments. These pieces have been written since the Baroque era if not earlier. However, unlike instru ...

, Op. 44 (1977) *

Flute Concerto A flute concerto is a concerto for solo flute and instrumental ensemble, customarily the orchestra. Such works have been written from the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day. Some major compose ...

, ''Harlequin'', Op. 70 (1995) * Horn Concerto, ''Campane ed Arie'', Op. 82 (2002) * Chamber Concerto, for violin, piano, and string orchestra, Op. 87 (2005) * Concerto for Clarinet, Viola, and Chamber Orchestra, Op. 91 (2007) (also for clarinet, cello, and chamber orchestra, Op. 91a) * English Horn Concerto, Op. 97 (2010–11)

Chamber music

* String Quartet No. 1, Op. 2 (1958) * String Quartet No. 2 ''Canzona'', Op. 4 (1960) * ''Quattro per quattro'', Op. 12 (1965) * String Quartet No. 3 ''Some Aspects of Peltoniemi Hintrik's Funeral March'', Op. 19 (1969) * Four Etudes for violin & piano, Op.21 (1970) * String Quartet No. 4 ''Quiet Songs'', Op. 25 (1971) * Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 26 (1971) * ''Metamorphora'', for cello & piano, Op. 34 (1974) * String Quartet No. 5 ''Pieces of Mosaic'', Op. 54 (1983) * ''From a Swan Song'', for cello & piano, Op. 67 (1991) * ''Barabbus Dialogues'', for vocalists, narrator & chamber ensemble, Op. 84 (2003) * Piano Quintet ''...des morceaux oublies'', Op. 85 (2004) * Cello Sonata, Op. 86 (2004) * ''Windy Winter in Provence'' for Tenor, Piano, Violin & Guitar, Op. 89 (2006) * Mistral Music for Solo Flute, Op. 90 (2005) (also for flute & string quartet, Op. 90a) * Piano Quintet No. 2 ''Three Kullervo Elegies'', Op. 92 (2006) * Preludes and Fugues for Solo Accordion, Op. 95 (2009) * Piano Trio ''Les Visions Fugitives'', Op. 96 (2010) * "Die Virtuose Tafelmusik von Don Juanquijote" for Accordion & Cello, Op. 98 (2011) * "...memories, memories..." for Children's Choir, Piano & Strings, Op. 99 (2011) * Five Portraits of Women for Soprano, Horn & Chamber Orchestra, Op. 100 (2012) * Baumgesang mit Epilog for Cello & Piano, Op. 101 (2013) * Three Adagios for Organ, Op. 102 (2013) * String Quartet No. 6, Op. 103 (2014)

Vocal and choral

* ''Songs from the Sea'', Op. 33 for unaccompanied children's choir, based on Finnish folk songs and a poem by the composer's two sons * ''Song Around a Song'', Op. 50 (1980) – Four folk songs in Italian, Japanese, Finnish, and English for unaccompanied children's choir * ''The Iron Age'': Suite, Op. 55, arranged from music for Finnish TV series based on the Kalevala * ''The Beaufort Scale'', Op. 56 (1984), humoresque for unaccompanied choir, based on the wind velocity scale

References

External links

Aulis Sallinen's homepage at Novello & Co.

Biographical information and list of works, from the Finnish Music Information Centre

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sallinen, Aulis 1935 births Living people People from Pitkyarantsky District Finnish classical composers Finnish opera composers Male opera composers 20th-century classical composers 21st-century classical composers Sibelius Academy alumni Academic personnel of the Sibelius Academy Finnish male classical composers 20th-century male musicians 21st-century male musicians 20th-century Finnish composers 21st-century Finnish composers